His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday directed the government to plan beyond the current period and set a clear timetable to protect and sustain the economy, while also devising an economic plan to overcome the current exceptional circumstances and taking every measure to prioritise the health and wellbeing of citizens.Chairing, via teleconference, a meeting attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II to discuss the government’s plans and measures to mitigate the COVID-19 economic repercussions, King Abdullah urged coordination and consultation with the private sector on economic plans and measures both sectors have to implement to maintain job security and sustain the private sector.

During the meeting also attended by His Royal Highness Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, adviser to His Majesty and chairperson of the National Policies Council His Majesty reaffirmed that the main goal should be protecting and supporting citizens, as well as meaningful and clear planning to ensure the public and private sectors can overcome the current exceptional circumstances.

The King urged the government to take the necessary measures to alleviate the burden on citizens and private sector entities, and to announce these measures as soon as possible, which should have tangible results.

His Majesty underscored the need for the newly formed Committee to Protect the National Economy to take a series of measures, within an economic resilience plan, to support businesses, expand the social safety net, and identify opportunities.

The King said the committee must work out ways to add flexibility to the Labour Law and identify the key sectors that contribute to the economy and ways to enable them to gradually resume operation.

His Majesty also called for identifying businesses that can adapt to the current situation, and help them adopt technological solutions to ensure sustainability.

The King stressed the need for a quick response to the developments caused by COVID-19, while also identifying how the banking sector can contribute to supporting businesses and driving recovery in the medium term.